Collapsible support.



W."W. OWENS.

COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.261 1914.

1,178,597. Patented Apr. 11,1916.

F .2. M -i 75];

INVENTOR WOW/15 I WITNESSES: I 8

MBIA PLAIIIOQRAPH co., WASHINGTON D c W. W. OWENS.

COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, 1914.

Patented Apr. 11,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ;v m e w WALTER W. OWENS, OF KANSAS CITY, 1VIISSOUEI.

COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr. 11, rate.

Application filed August 26, 1914; Serial No. 858,612.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER W. OWENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible sup ports, and more especially to stools which can be folded to be carried in the hand like a traveling bag or grip, and my object is to produce a support of this character which can be folded to small compass and in which when folded, the legs constitute handles by which it shall be carried.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1, is a side view of a folding support embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3, is a perspective View of the support when folded. Fig. 4, is a central vertical section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2. Fig. 5, is a horizontal section on the line V--V of Fig. 1. Fig. 6, is a horizontal section on the line VIVI of Fig.1. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view to show the locking feature of one of the toggle braces connecting the upper ends of the legs. Fig. 8, is a section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 1.

In the said drawings, l'indicates a pair of inverted tray shaped seat sections provided at their lower margins with outwardly projecting flanges 2, the flanges of theadj acent side walls of the sections being notched to provide tongues, the tongues of one section being opposite the notches of the other and being bent to circular form to constitute alined hinge loops 3 for the reception of the hinge pin 4, whereby the two sections are hingedly connected together so that they may occupy a position side by side (Fig. 1) or may be folded with their hollow sides adjacent so as to constitute a box (Fig. 3) for the reception of all the remaining mechanism of the support except the free ends of the legs as hereinafter explained, and to accommodate the. legs when the support is folded, the outermost transverse wall of each seat section of the support is provided with a pair of notches 5 which also extend through the flanges of said walls. A collapsible supporting mechanism for said seat sections comprises a pair of folding frames, each consisting of an upper member 6 and a lower or leg member 7 connected together by pivot rods 8. The members 6 and 7 are U-shaped and inverted. with respect to each other and flanged at their side'margins for stiffening and strengthening purposes. When the support is unfolded, the members 6 extend divergingly upward, the upper end of each fitting in the outer end of one of the seat sec tions and being pivoted thereto as at 9.

A pair of toggle braces extend convergv ingly upward from the pivot rods 8 to the inner ends of the seat sections when the latter are unfolded, each consisting of an upper link frame 10 fitting within the adjacent seat section and pivoted thereto onrods 11, between bearing lugs 11 rigid with the seat sections, and a lower link frame 12 pivoted on the adjacent rod 8. Said link frames 10 and 12-are of U-form and flanged at their side margins for stiffening purposes, and the upper link-framesare provided with handle extensions 14 which fit against the outer sides of the transverse portions of the linkframes 12 and project downward beyond said portions, as indicated most clearly in Figs. 2 and 4, to form handles which can be conveniently gripped by one who desires to fold or collapse the support, it being noted in this connection by reference to Fig. 4, that each handle extension 14, is adapted to swing through the U-shaped opening of the adjacent upper link-frame 6, during the folding and unfolding operations.- The toggle-brace link-frames are so proportioned that at opposite sides of the handle extensions 14 their adjacent edges come together as shoulder 15, shortly after the pivot rods 13 pass inwardly of the inclined planes of the pivot rods 8 and 11, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 4.

16 are coiled springs mounted on pivot rods 13 and terminating at their opposite ends in oppositely projecting arms 17 which bear against the adjacent link-frames 10 and 12, and tend to buckle the same outwardly or toward the pivotal points 9, the shoulders 15 engaging as explained, to prevent excess movement of the toggle braces under the pressure of said springs.

To limit unfoldingmovement of the leg members 7 with respect to the members 6',

and to check inward swinging movement of the legs while they are in a slightly upwardly-converging relation, a pair of slotted links 18 pivotally and slidingly engage pins 19 and 20, respectively secured to frame members 6 and 7. A pair of toggle braces connect the pivot rods 8, and each consists of swinging links 20 and 21 pivoted together at 22 and to lock said braces in horizontal positions,each link 21 is provided with a hole or opening 23 for the reception of a protuberance 24: on the heel end of a fiat spring 25 secured to member 21 by pivot 22, the free end of the spring normally press-V ing a yoke 26 flatly against the adjacent end of link 21 so that the arms 27 of the yoke, shall overlap the link 20 and thus lock the toggle braces from collapsing action, and in order that the locking yoke may have pivotal movement at right angles to the pivotal movement of the links 20 and 21, it is loosely pivoted at 28 to the member 21, and the latter is recessed at 29 to permit of said pivotal movement. The pivotal movement occurs when the yokes are grasped by hand to pull them back to unlocked position, from the position shown most clearly in Figs. 7 and 8, and also when the toggle braces are straightened out or expanded to brace the upper ends of the legs and the lower ends of the members 6 apart, and to effect this automatic operation of the locking yokes the inner edges of their arms 27 are beveled to constitute cams 30, which by contact with the lower edges of the links 20 in the expanding action of the toggle, are forced back with a shearing action, the springs 25 yielding to permit this action to occur and instantly snapping the locking yokes inward to locked position when the toggle braces are fully expanded.

To prevent spreading movement or separation of the legs at their lower ends, I provide a folding connection, consisting of pairs of inwardly converging bars 31 and 32, each pair being pivoted at 32, at its outer end to one of the legs 7, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. The inner ends of the bars 31 terminate in parallel arms 83, spaced apart, and the inner ends of bars 32 also terminate in parallel arms 34 which fit snugly between and are pivoted at 35 to the arms 33, the latter being of such length that they overlap and engage the inwardly converging bars adjacent the arms 34, to limit the unfolding operation.

To fold the support from the position shown in Fig. 1, to the position shown in Fig. 3, the operator preferably inverts it and then pulls the locking yokes outward and presses thereon to start the breaking or folding action of the toggle braces connecting the legs. He then reaches through the U- shaped members 6 and grasps the lower ends of the handle extensions 14: with his fingers and pulls until the link-frames 10 are folded flatly within and extend substantially parallel with the tops of the seat sections. In this folding action the resistance of the springs is overcome and link-frames 12 fold 011 link-frames 10, and the members 6 swing into the seat sections until pivot rods 8 are adjacent the pivot rods 11. As these operations occur the legs Tmove toward each other bodily under the collapse of the toggle braces and the folding connection between the legs, and at the same time the seat members swing on hinge rod 4%, and thus cooperate with the members 6 in folding the legs 7 back upon the latter and into the seat sections, it being noticed in this connection that the length of the legs is such that they extend through the notches V5, and that their ground engaging or lower ends come together above the box constituted by the folded seat sections,

the bridge or transverse portions of said legs having rounded flanges 36 which con jointly afiorol a comfortable'hand-grip for the person who transports the device, it being apparent that as long as the legs are thus gripped there can be no unfolding movement of the support, the unfolding operation being the reverse of the folding operation.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a collapsible support embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the same, I wish it to be understood that I reserve the right to all modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim I 1. In a folding support, a pair of tray shaped seat sections hingedtogether and adapted to fold together and conjointly form a box, the seat section walls most remote from the hinge point being provided with notches, and a collapsible supporting mechanism embodying a pair of folding frames pivoted to each seat section and comprising upper members to entirely fold within their respective seat sections and leg members adapted to fold within the seat sections but of greater length than such sections so as to project through the notches in the outer walls thereof; said legs having transverse portions which fit together at the projecting ends of the legs and constitute a handle whereby the folded support may be conveniently carried.

2. In a folding support, a pair of seat sections hinged together and adapted to fold together to form a box, a collapsing supporting mechanism pivoted at its upper ends to and within the seat sections near the outer ends thereof, and consisting of upper members and lower or leg members, braces between the inner portions of the seat sections and the pivotal points of connection of the members of said collapsing mechanism, and means coiiperating with said braces in securing the collapsing mechanism in unfolded or supporting position.

3. In a folding support, a pair of seat sections hinged together and adapted to fold together to form a box, a collapsing supporting mechanism pivoted at its upper ends to and within the'seatsections near the outer ends thereof, and consisting of upper members and lower or leg members, braces between the inner portions of the seat sections and the pivotal points of connection of the members of said collapsing mechanism, means for bracing the collapsing mechanism in the plane of the connection therewith of said 4:. In a folding support, a toggle brace I Copies of this patent may be obtained for operate in a plane at right angles to the plane 'of operation of said members, and

provided with cam edges, and a spring normally holding the yoke with its cam edges in the plane of swinging movement'of the other member; the engagement of the said memberwith the cam edges of the yoke as the toggle brace is expanded, repressing the completed. r

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER W. OWENS.

Witnesses:

FRANK R. GLoRE, G. Y. THoRPE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

yoke and the spring readvancing and interlocking the yoke with the said member as the'expanding movement of thetoggle is 

